ANZLL Books You Must Read

Inspired by the Books You Must Read Before You Die phenomenon, ANZ LitLovers is developing its own Must Read list of Australian and New Zealand titles.

The ANZLL bookgroup (the catalyst for this blog) is a ‘broad church’ of well-read people with diverse tastes in reading – so recommendations represent a range of tastes too. They range from ‘a jolly good read’ and ‘couldn’t put it down’ to challenging books that take some time and effort to read. They include classics which are as fresh today as the day they were written – and those that have not stood the test of time quite so well but remain an interesting window on Australian writing of the past. There are titles loved by nearly all of us – and those whose merits or otherwise provoked lively discussion!

Multicultural voices

If you are interested in discovering diverse voices in Australian writing, visit Tseen Khoo’s list of Australian women writers of diverse heritage – one day when I get time I will construct a similar sort of page which will include male authors as well. It’s on my To Do List!

Links in the list below are to Lisa’s reviews – just one opinion and not to be taken as authoritative – but a search on Wikipedia will lead to more information about almost all of these authors, thanks to a wonderful team of contributors who are building a comprehensive online resource about Australian and New Zealand authors and their work.

Transparency statement: Please note that I receive affiliate payments from Fishpond, see the About page for further information.

*A never-ending, time-consuming and very boring task. I work at this every now and again but not often enough to get it finished. If there is no link click through to Fishpond from the logos in the RH menu or to Booko in the blogroll.

“Read the best books first, or you may not have a chance to read them all” –Henry David Thoreau

Nominations so far include the titles below. NZ titles are in italics.

CHILDREN’S NOVELS (These are mostly for older 10+ readers but not Young Adult )

TruckDogs: a novel in four bites by Graeme Base

Snugglepot and Cuddlepie by May Gibbs

Do-Wrong Ron by Steven Herrick

Amelia Dee and the Peacock Lamp by Odo Hirsch

The Naming of Tishkin Silk by Glenda Millard

Sabriel by Garth Nix

The Muddle-Headed Wombat by Ruth Park

Playing Beattie Bow by Ruth Park

Lily Quench and the Dragon of Ashby by Natalie Prior

The Wizard of Rondo by Emily Rondo

Billy Mack’s War by James Roy

Ash Road by Ivan Southall

Hill’s End by Ivan Southall

To the Wild Sky by Ivan Southall

Stella by the Sea by Ruth Starke

Midnite by Randolph Stow

Seven Little Australians by Ethel Turner

Dragonkeeper by Carole Wilkinson

An Older Kind of Magic by Patricia Wrightson

The Nargun and the Stars by Patricia Wrightson

Nominations from non-members are welcome, but fiction nominations must conform to our definition of Australian Literature (see the About page). Please use the comment form below, and please tell me if the author is from New Zealand.

This page was last updated 5/7/13

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I’d love to nominate. It looks good so far. About the first book I though of was Voss, but it’s there. I think it’s Nevil Shute isn’t it? And I’m not sure I’d go with two of his, much as I loved him and read every single one of his books when I was a teen. IF I were going to nominate two of his though it would be A town like Alice and On the beach. I’m glad to see Tirra Lirra by the River there.

But, enough of that. There has to be Thea Astley. She won 4 (FOUR!!) Miles Franklin Awards and no-one ever thinks of her. Why is that? Anyhow, I think Drylands is a must. I also think her The kindness cup is wonderful.

Then there’s Elizabeth Jolley. Like Astley she has a wonderful body of work and it is hard to choose, but perhaps for a starter The well would be good, though my personal favourite of what I’ve read to date is The newspaper of Claremont St.

And, while I’m on Australian women writers, I’ll add:
Loving daughters, by Olga Masters
The pea pickers, by Eve Langley
Ride on stranger, by Kylie Tennant

There are so many. How many do you plan to come up with. Not 1001 I presume?

It IS tricky…because we could then get into histories…You could do categories: literary fiction and nonfiction. I think children’s literature should be included. And, I just thought of another: My brilliant career, by Miles Franklin!

Thanks for the tip about Nevil Shute, it’s so long since I’ve read him I didn’t notice the mis-spelling. I read everything that I could find by him too! (It’s the Blyton Syndrome *chuckle*).
I only thought of developing this list today, and so we haven’t yet had the conversation about how many to have on the list and what the criteria for inclusion should be ….
1001 would be absurd, since that would imply very little reading time for international literature – and all of us at ANZ LitLovers like that as well. But can an Australian call herself well-read if she has read very little OzLit? I don’t think so, and I think we should be asserting the place of Australian literature in the marketplace, the universities and schools and in any other forums that we can…
How many is a difficult question indeed. 10% of what an average LitLover reads per year, multiplied by an average lifetime of reading years? 20%? 50%? It’s going to be an interesting discussion, eh?
So will the criteria. Should we include children’s books? Should we limit it to one book for each author? How would we choose which one? What’s the definition of literary fiction anyway?
At the moment I’m just adding all the nominations as they come in *chuckle*

Should we include non-fiction? If so, you can’t go past A Journey from Venice by Ruth Cracknell. This book details the story of Ruth and her husband, on holiday in Venice, when he is diagnosed with a fatal illness. Ruth’s journey home with her husband and his death is told with an openness that will touch you all.

Also, how can we nominate 1000 must read books without paying tribute to a wonderful playwright like David Williamson? I have notice that in other lists Shakespeare’s plays have been nominated. Don’s party by Williamson also deserves recognition.

I think Alexis Wright’s Carpentaria should be here. Also, if we are talking plays there’s Douglas Stewart’s Fire in the snow. As he was born in NZ he is truly representative of this list! (PS I agree Lisa that an Australian can’t be called well read if she hasn’t read a goodly representation of Aus Lit).

Thanks I didn’t see that. I voted YES but have some qualms about it. What is iconic? Is Manning Clark’s History of Australia, Donald Horne’s The lucky country, Geoffrey Blainey’s The tyranny of distance? Still, if we are listing what a well read Aussie should read then some of these works need to be here.

When I started this (a hasty impulse on a hot day when sitting in front of the computer was a cool thing to do LOL) I was thinking only of novels because I have been asked a number of times to recommend ‘great Aussie novels’ by overseas friends. I felt that any list we developed would be a good one because the collective wisdom of our very widely read and discerning group would mean it would be comprehensive.
I still think I’d rather leave a non-fiction list to someone else or some other time because ANZLL is a group focussed on literary fiction – but the N/Fs suggested so far do deserve to be widely read, and I admit I’d hate to take off A Fortunate Life,
Perhaps when we decide how many to have on the list, the issue will take care of itself.

What a fantastic idea. Thank you for taking the time to list these. I can see myself being a frequent visitor to this page. I am shamefully poorly read in this area – but no time like the present to begin!

Yes, indeed, Marnie, and I have added it, feeling somewhat embarrassed by its omission! A couple of us in ANZLL are planning to read this over the summer holidays as a small group read. I recently read my first Stead, The Little Hotel, (see https://anzlitlovers.wordpress.com/2009/05/09/the-little-hotel-by-christina-stead/) and thought it was brilliant writing, so I am looking forward to The Man Who Loved Children. I also have Hazel Rowley’s biography of Stead on my TBR, so it was just an accidental omission, I assure you!
Lisa

I’ve travelled over via dovegreyreader from England and am excited about exploring Australian literature, but this list is a little overwhelming and I’m not sure where to start- I notice you have your top 10 reads each year but what I’m looking for is a starter list on ANZ literature- except for Miles Franklin I’m woefully ignorant.

Hello Cheryl (I hope I’ve got your name right?) and welcome!
You’re right, this is a big list.
It’s a bit tricky without knowing what your tastes are, but here are my suggestions for a start. They’re a mixture of contemporary and classic OzLit, and I’ve chosen some that will introduce you to a bit of Australian history (while being a jolly good read as well).
1. My Brother Jack by George Johnson
2. The Secret River by Kate Grenville
3. The World Beneath by Cate Kennedy
4. The Fortunes of Richard Mahoney by Henry Handel Richardson
5. Cloudstreet by Tim Winton
6. The Great World by David Malouf
7. Highways to a War by Christopher Koch
8. The Well by Elizabeth Jolley
9. The Man Who Loved Children by Christina Stead (This is a bit cheeky of me because I haven’t read it yet, but it’s a classic that everyone says is brilliant, and I’m about to read it this holidays).
10. If you like modernism, try something by Patrick White: Voss is currently my favourite but I love them all.
I’ll be interested to hear which ones you try and if you like them:)
Best wishes
Lisa

of course I’m now totally in love with Australian fiction but managing not to read any of the ones you mentioned- I read Ransom because when I went to look up the David Malouf you mentioned it shouted out at me and I was blown away by it. I’ve recently finished The Trout Opera and feel astonished that it hasn’t been Booker listed or anything and I read Lovesong by Alex Miller which after reading your review I found, grabbed and devoured in one sitting. Now I have a pile of David Malouf, a pile of Alex Miller, Cloudstreet, Highways to a war ( I loved the film of The Year of Living dangerously so I bought that as well). Kate Grenville doesn’t do it for me for some reason but I love everything else I’ve tried and am now suffering because ANZ fiction is so hard to get hold of over here with a few exceptions.

Hello, JR as in James Roy who wrote Billy Mack’s War? Fabulous book, I read it to my Year 5-6 students and they loved it.
Re YA books: I hadn’t thought about it before now! I feel a bit hesitant, because I don’t read much YA and would have to rely on recommendations from other people whose opinion I trust and that could be a bit risky. These lists are recommendations, and recommending YA books without having read them myself could get me into trouble if some parents or teachers don’t think the book is suitable for under 18s. Also, although a few children’s books and some non-fiction has strayed onto this list, the focus of this blog is adult literature. That’s where my interests lie and that’s what I feel comfortable with.
Lisa

I’ve only read 30 odd from all of the categories so you’ve given me a few to look out for and made me feel totally unread. Just recently discovered Gould’s book of fish – so Flanagan’s works will be next for me.

One I’d add to the list:

Maybe Xavier Herbert’s huge tome – Poor fellow my country? It has the same setting and almost identical cast to Capricornia but has a much more epic scope and if you stick at it enough to get into it you find it hard to leave the main characters behind. Makes me curious to see the top end one day too.

You said you won’t, but if you were going to have a list of YA fiction I’d have to suggest the Marsden series – Tomorrow when the war began. Too violent for young kiddies and too full of coming of age angst for grown-ups. I only discovered them in my early twenties during a homesick European winter. Set in the bush of southeastern Aus where I used to hike and the kids talk like they’re from the eighties – not a bff or mobile phone between them.

Hello Possum, nice to ‘meet’ you:)
I’ve added Poor Fellow My Country – it’s on my TBR but my goodness, it’s a very big book as you say! One for the summer holidays, I think, not for toting about in a handbag LOL.
I’d really like it if someone who has an interest and a bit of expertise in YA had a list like this on their blog, and then I could link to it. The Marsden series is excellent, and it deserves to be promoted too.
I’ve fixed the missing no 24: It was The Friends of Emily Culpepper which appears to be out of print – what a shame, it is a lovely little book for exploring friendship and not being possessive about friends.
Lisa:)

I liked mr Darwin’s Shooter, but oh dear, The Ballad of Desmond Kale told me more about sheep than I really wanted to know LOL…but I know other people who thought highly of it so don’t take any notice of me!
I read Home and Away to my year sixes last year and they were quite sobered by the issues it raised. Some of these topical ‘issues’ picture books can be a bit heavy-handed, but Marsden’s is superb and the pictures contribute to the discusson too.

I am ashamed to say that I have only read 26 books on the literary fiction list, but am back studying again. I would like to make a few comments. I thought Murray Bail’s ‘Eucalyptus” a little too red-faced, middle-aged and fisherman’s cap, put Julia Leigh’s ‘The Hunter’ up close to Richard Flanagan – this is a woman writing about a man who (walks) all over Flanagan’s blokes. Put in Helen Garner’s ‘Monkey Grip’ for the younger folk. And I loved ‘Joe Cinques’s Consolation’. I thought Kate Grenville’s ‘Searching for the Secret River’ (hope that title is correct) was much better than ‘The Secret River’. Finally, try to read ‘Capricornia’ by Xavier Herbert, don’t bother with Randolph Stowe ‘To the Islands’ and then put Alexis Wright’s ‘Carpentaria’ way back up the list – she rocks! Follow her storyline without trying to ‘Other’ the dreaming narrative.

Hello, and welcome to the conversation:)
As we say, ANZLL is a broad church and so this list reflects a variety of tastes, though I like to think that all the books are worthy one way or another. BTW The list is merely alphabetical by author, so there isn’t any order of merit…
BTW if you loved The Hunter, I recommend Leigh’s new one, Disquiet. I thought it was brilliant. See https://anzlitlovers.wordpress.com/2010/08/28/disquiet-by-julia-leigh/
Lisa

I agree with many on the list, but would like to offer up the following for consideration. I’d recommend some of Frank Moorhouse’s earlier work, especially The Americans, Baby and Forty-Seventeen–risky, adventurous writing, and funny to boot. Tsiolkas first three novel are all better than The Slap, with Dead Europe probably his best, IMO. Amanda Lohrey’s first three novels are all very good, and her second novel The Reading Group–a dystopian dissection of the collapse of post-60s Left wing activism–is criminally ignored. Andrew McGahan’s work is well worth dipping into. His first two ‘grunge’ novels are quite hilarious, and his latest speculative fiction, is fascinating.

Hello Brenton, thank you for contributing this: I had never heard of Hanrahan but did a Google search and discovered a web-page dedicated to her memory (http://tinyurl.com/2fe3qf8) and a Google Books preview (http://tinyurl.com/2g4mj7d) which gives a sense of her style. I’ve added your suggestion above, and I’ll look out for her work.

Ah well, Tony, truth be told I’m no fan of Winton, and although I’ve read The Riders I wouldn’t recommend it myself! I know, I know, Winton is Australia’s best-loved and all that, but we’re all different and his books just don’t do anything for me.
As for The Slap, well, hmm, its inclusion above isn’t my recommendation either, and I haven’t read Dead Europe.
But – because (a) I can’t possibly have read everything that’s good and (b) I’m not setting myself up as an expert who can specify what an Australian canon should be – this is a page where I welcome suggestions from well-read people that I trust, and I shall happily add both your suggstions to the list because (as I say at the top) those who love Australian literature form a broad church and the more the merrier.
(Within reason LOL).

Don’t know how I missed this. The biggest problem with this list for me is that there should have been about 4 more novels by Patrick White. One book that should be included is “Fredy Neptune” by Les Murray and at least one book by MJ Hyland.

Thanks for these suggestions, Tony, I don’t need much encouragement to add more Patrick White LOL, but I’ve never read Les Murray and didn’t know until I looked it up just now that Fredy Neptune is a verse novel so appreciate the tip. Which Hyland would you suggest? I have one of hers on my TBR (How the Light gets In).

Lisa – I picked up Gilgamesh by Joan London at the library last weekend having never heard of it before. The first thing I did before starting it was pop over here and was reassured to see it on your list! It’s a lovely book and I’m on the lookout now for The Good Parents, especially after reading your review & the Tolstoy references. I found her writing in Gilgamesh non judgmental as well, accepting of whatever choices her characters made – writing like that is usually a winner for me 0:)

Hello Jeanne, thanks for your suggestion:)
I agree, I think he was a great writer, and I used to read his books to my classes. Ash Road was a favourite. But sad to say, kids today are not as interested in his books, and many of them have sat unread on my library shelves for five years or more.

Well spotted, JR, and I should have spotted it too because it was only last week that I was putting Thiele’s books through inventory…
Actually, I like Thiele’s Sun on the Stubble short stories best: Locked Out was always a favourite with the kids, and there was another one – The Water Trolley(?) about a boy who has to trek for miles across a hostile landscape to bring back water for the homestead after the tank is damaged and his father is injured in the explosion.

A great list I will revisit often, thank you everyone. However, we are told the NZ books are written in italics, but most of them are not, so I hope you can fix this. meanwhile, as a Kiwi, I’m off to find some Aussie reading. Chris

[…] 2012 and 2013 the reading list is growing. For reasons of space and time and personal preference my ANZ LitLovers reading list is limited to literary fiction titles by indigenous Australian and Ne… but participants are free to choose any form you like – short story, memoir, biography, […]

Hello, discovered you via Winston’s Dad – another new blog to me. I’m a Brit who loves and devours ANZ literature and love much of your list with some heads up to others. I also love Tim Winton, he does everything to me!
I’m missing about 3 authors from your lists. First Robert Drewe from Perth, and now I think Sydney, I adored Drowner and learnt a lot from it. I’ve also read others of his, particularly one about a missionary who volunteers to go to Tasmania to attempt in his way to ‘save’ aboriginal people forcibly transported there. Second Peter Temple from Melbourne, a master of life and the detective story. Third Wellingtonian Jack Lasenby whose young adult books are second to none. I’ve relished his Traveller series and give them to young readers of my acquaintance despite being hard to track down. There was a culminatory one published very recently that I can’t find though it won prizes. I was loaned the copy I copy I read and loved.

Hello Carol, and welcome! Always nice to meet another of Stu’s friends in this way:) Truth be told, I haven’t updated this list for a while, so that’s a job I need to attend to during the forthcoming school holidays – thank you for bringing my attention to it. You’re right about Robert Drewe, he’s a great writerright, and I shall add his name to the list ASAP. Peter Temple hasn’t made it there because I don’t read crime, and I have to admit to not having come across Jack Lasenby, but I will take your word for it and add them too.
However, I’m inclined to agree about Evie Wyld, I think she herself identifies as a Brit just as I identify myself as an Aussie despite being born elsewhere.

Hello and thank you so much for the welcome.
I have only just ie in last year or so, begun re-exploring crime fiction to be quite delighted. As I’m in Edinburgh and the Borders a lot I began with Ian Rankin who is great. I also read John Harvey’s opus, his are mainly Nottingham based where I lived for 4 years and had my first baby 40 plus years ago. A humane writer and I almost believe his main character Resnick exists somewhere. He highly praised Peter Temple so I began reading him before realising he was Australian. He is a superb writer, so much can happen in one short phrase, the characters are life challenged and perplexed as you and I and morality counts…. So I will go on reading his work as and when. Previously I was a strictly literary reader…..
I definitely think Australian writers are as good as anywhere and I’ve converted friends and fellow readers, and passed on authors’ names to many.
PS Live in NW London
hurray for reading

Well, Carol, *smile* maybe you should start your own blog specialising in reviews of Crime fiction!
Maybe we can catch up next time I’m in London. Maybe next year, it depends on how good I am at saving money. (So far, not very good, alas).

But I’m not ‘just’ a crime reader, I’m a bookaholic – quality reading though.
And you seem to me to be so lovely and a teacher too (I’m a retired one) that I and I know my husband too would love to have you stay at least part of your stay. We could scarcely live in a more convenient and lovely place, what do you think? That is, just on edge of central London, West End in easy walking distance right through Regents Park…. Couple of bus or tube stops anywhere AND it’s peaceful, relatively, someone is always developing, renovating etc., a people watching place too. With an independent book shop. The room would be full of books though, shelved not in piles…
Start saving your dollars now!
But meeting up definitely.
On the other hand I might be in Australia myself ha ha!

Hi there. great list, a few of my favourites are listed. However, I really think you’ve overlooked one of Australia’s most prolific and gifted writers in Colin Thiele… Storm Boy, for example, left an indelible mark on many of us as children, as did Blue Fin and River Murray Mary. Such a wonderful author and important contributions to our literature! Natalie :)

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